The Palestine Chronology

Pres. Clinton announces that Arafat, Barak will come to Camp David, MD, on 7/11 to hold 3-way summit on final status issues. Talks are expected to end before Clinton leaves for a G-8 mtg. in Japan on 7/19. U.S. officials say that the PLOCC's 7/3 "threat" to declare a state as of 9/13 influenced Clinton's decision to hold the summit now. (MM 7/5; MENA 7/5 in WNC 7/6; XIN 7/5, ITAR-TASS, al-Quds, XIN 7/6 in WNC 7/7; NYT, WP, WT 7/6; AYM, XIN 7/6, ITAR-TASS, Le Monde, al-Quds, SA 7/7, DUS 7/8, JT, SA 7/9 in WNC 7/10; CSM, MM, NYT, WP 7/7; MEI 7/14)

In London, PM Barak urges British PM Tony Blair to press Arafat not to declare unilaterally a Palestinian state. Barak then leaves for Paris to hold similar talks with French pres. Chirac. (CNN [Internet], MM 7/5; MM 7/6)

Arafat invites the Palestinian opposition parties to accompany the PA delegation to the Camp David summit, participate on the sidelines. Hamas, the PFLP decline. DFLP, Palestinian People's Party (PPP), Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) accept. (AYM 7/8, 7/9, DUS 7/11 in WNC 7/17; SA 7/9 in WNC 7/11 al-Quds 7/14 in WNC 7/18)

The Knesset lifts the immunity of MK Yitzhak Mordechai so he may face sexually assault charges. (NYT 7/6) (see 5/25)

In London, Jordan's King Hussein, Israel's PM Netanyahu meet for the first time since Israel's attempted assassination of Hamas political leader Khalid Mishal in Amman 9/25. (MM, WT 11/18; SA, JT 11/19 in WNC 11/21; al-Dustur, JT, Star 11/20 in WNC 11/25; JP 11/29)

Doha economic summit ends. All participants sign final communiqué, including Israel, which unsuccessfully tried to block section stressing that Oslo negotiations are based on land for peace. 2 major Jordanian, Qatari investment companies sign $25-m. partnership, industrial investment agmt. (MM 11/18; WP, WT 11/19; JT 11/19 in WNC 11/21; SA 11/19 in WNC 11/25; WJW 11/27)

At the end of a 3-wk. evaluation following a sharp rise in casualties in s. Lebanon, top IDF officials unanimously reaffirm decision to stay in s. Lebanon until an agmt. on redeployment is achieved with Lebanon, Syria. (MM 11/19; YA 11/19 in WNC 11/21)

Knesset threatens Israeli banks with prosecution if they persist in refusing to identify owners of dormant Nazi-era accounts holding an estimated total of $57 m. (WT 11/19)

In Bethlehem, a Palestinian boy is shot dead by IDF sniper guarding DM Yitzhak Mordechai on visit to Rachel's Tomb. (MEI 12/5)

IDF demolishes Palestinian home, workshop in al-Ram, n. of Jerusalem. (PR 11/21)

Employing a "dual-track" strategy of military and diplomatic pressure, Russian FM Yevgeny Primakov opens talks in Moscow with Iraqi Dep. PM Tariq `Aziz, while U.S. pres. Bill Clinton sends 12 additional military aircraft to the Gulf, authorizes cmdrs. to deploy 30 more if they deem it necessary. (MM 11/18; CSM, MM, WP, WT 11/19) (see 11/17; ITV 11/19 in WNC 11/21; MEI 11/21)

Israel's Likud party holds its 1st ever primary to select its slate of MK candidates, excluding candidate for PM, for the 5/29 elections. Retired Gen. Yitzhak Mordechai is selected to head the list, with fmr. DM Ariel Sharon 2d, Oslo opponent Benjamin Begin 3d, party veteran Dan Meridor 4th. Combined with the coalition agmt. with Gesher, Tsomet (see 3/12), the slate suggests a Likud government would have security-oriented hardliners in its top posts. (MM 3/26, 3/27; QY 3/27 in FBIS 3/27; MM, NYT 3/28; WJW 4/4; MEI 4/12)

PSF head Muhammad Dahlan claims the PSF has discovered a secret group within the Qassam Brigades that is controlled by the Hamas leadership in Jordan; says the PA has detained all but 2 mbrs. (Muhammad Daif, Yahya al-Ghoul) of the Qassam Brigades and a total of 70 percent of Hamas mbrs. overall. (WT 3/27; CSM 4/8)

IDF arrests 10 additional alleged Hamas mbrs. in the Bethlehem, Hebron, Janin, Tulkarm areas. To date Israel has arrested over 400 persons suspected of hostile anti-Israeli activities. (QY 3/26 in FBIS 3/26)

Fmr. U.S. Pres. George Bush meets with Syrian Pres. Asad in Damascus; then drives to Beirut to meet with Pres. Hrawi. Bush is on a regional tour to thank Gulf War allies (incl., Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain) for their support during that conflict. (RL, SARR, VOL 3/26 in FBIS 3/26; RL 3/26, 3/27 in FBIS 3/27; MM 3/27; WT 3/27; NYT 4/5)

Fmr. negotiator, current PC mbr. Hanan Ashrawi (I-Jerusalem) says that she will meet lawyers' requests to submit an affidavit in defense of Hamas political leader Musa Abu Marzuq for his extradition hearing, scheduled for 4/2 in New York. (AFP 3/26 in FBIS 3/26)